Vehicle tire



P. O. PFEIFFER VEHICLE TIRE March 28, 1944.

Original Filed Aug. 29, 1940 INVENTOR Paul 0. .P'Peiffer ATTORNEYSPatented Mar. 28, 194% 'rlcs VEEIEJLE TIRE 0. Pfeifier, on, Ohio,asslsnor to Genend The & Rubber Company, Ahon, Qhio, n

coration or able 2%, i941, ii (is.

This invention relates to vehicle and more particularly to e tire capleof operation either as a pneumatic tire or as a con tire, the presentapplication being e, division oi my copending application, Serial No.354,640, filed August 29, 1940, upon which tent No. 2,273,283 weegranted February 1'2, will.

Pneumatic time used on wheels of airplanes or motor vehicles in militaryservice are subject to the danger of puncture by bullets. The punctureof an airplane landing wheel tire is apt to cause damage to the plane inlanding and the puncture cl 2, ground vehicle tire puts the ole out of:ma-z The use of solid rubber or cushion tires is objectionable inplanes because of the increased weight and inferior 11:. ability of thetire. The use oi cushion tires on motor vehicles is objectionablebecause of the inierior cushioning ability oi the tire, the greaterdificulty in steering, and because of the fact that cushion tires aremuch less durable than pneumatic tires.

The present invention has for its objectto provide as pnetic tire whichis so constructed that it is capable of sustaining the lo to which itmay be subjected without the did of interned air pressure, and wlucli iscapable of operating satisfactorily after its air has been released bypuncture With the above and other objects in view the invention may besaid to comprise e, tire, as illus treted in the accompanying drawinghereinafter described and particularly set forth in the sppendeclclaims, together with such variations modifications thereof as will bespperent to one skilled in the an; to which the invention apper= tsins.Reference should be had to the accompanying drawing forxping a part ofthe speciucc= tion, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation oi n tire embodying the presentinvention, o portion of the tire well being broken away to show theinterior structure;

Fig. 2 is u transverse section taken on the line indicated at 2-2 inFig. i

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through a, tire like that shown in Figs.1 and 2 except that a fabric reinforcement is provided; 7

Fig. i is e sectional view showing an inner tube embodying theinvention;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line indicated at 5-8 in Fig. i; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line indicated at 8-8 in Fig. 4.

The tire of the present invention is a cirri No.

being the so in struct cumferential continuous one piece ber tire havinge tire base i reinior with a cylindrical metal band 2,, side walls 3nened by internol circumferential ribs t and e thickened tread 5. Aseries of closely spa trarse webs are provided within the tire cavity.'lnese webs are integral with the and side walls of the tire and extendfrom the base of the tire to ad= iacent the tread thereof. Ibo upperedges of the webs d are sp irom the tread or the tire to provideapertures i, so that all of the chambers between the webs d are in cocation for ta-i=2 of air pressure within the tire. The tire is providedwith a valve s 8 through which air under pressure may be introduced tothe interior of the The webs t. which composed otelastic rubber, supportloed under tension wheniwelgbt is imposed upon the tire. e weight imdupon the tire tends to bulge the side of the tire, increasing the widthof the cavity and i -iw the trans verse webs G. The tire is on ed tooperate nolly with a low ition p being sustained partially by the bodyor cqm= pressed sir within the cavity and partially by the tension websWhen the air within the tire is released by punc the med i sup ported myby the transverse tension webs, which are capable of giving service fors cmnsid emble period of time after puncture of the tire.

The tire of the present invention may be com posed entirely of rubber,es shown in 2, or may be reinforced with cord fabric, as shown Flea 3 ofthe drawing, the tire in Fig 5 as that shown in ble. 2 except that thetire is are reinforced with e, plurality of plie d of cord fabric. Theplies of cord fabric have their opposite edges attsched to the undersideof the tire base and extend from one side of the tire base to the otherthrough the side walls and tread portion of the tire.

The tire of the present invention may also be used as inner tube for aconventional pneumatic tire casing, as shown in Fig. 4 or the draw= ins.In this instance a tire or tube emng the invention is molded andvulcanized to an external form to fit within a conventional tire casingill,-

e, the load their side edges to the cehter plane or the tire,

as shownin Fig. 8. The thickening of the side edge portions of the websserves to stiflen the side walls and the tapering oi the webs from theirouter edges to the tire base provides greater resistance to elongationin the portions of the webs djacent the tread, so that the load is moreadvantageously distributed throughout the webs.

The tire oi the present invention is preferably made by the methoddescribed and claimed in my Patent No. 2,273,288, granted February 1'7,1942.

It is to be understood that variations and modiflcations of the specificdevices herein shown and described for purposes or illustration may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A rubber tire in the form 01' a circumrerentially continuousunspliced tube which has a relatively stifl interior base wall, athickened exterior tread wall and flexible side walls, a valve stemattached to the tire through which air may be introduced into the tireto inflate the same, and a series of load supporting tension memberswithin the tire cavity, each in the form of a flexible elastic rubberweb extending transversely across the tire cavity and spaced inwardlyfrom the tread wall, each web being disposed in a plane intersecting thetread and base of the tire and having opposite edge portions integrallyjoined to the opposite side walls of the tire.

2. A rubber tire in the form of a circumferentially continuous unsplicedtube which has a relatively stii! interior base wall, a thickenedexterior tread wall and flexible side walls, a valve stem attached tothe tire through which air may be introduced into the tire to'inflatethesame, and a series 01' load supporting tension members within the tirecavity, each in the form 01' an elastic rubber web extendingtransversely across the tire cavity, each web having its inner edgeintegrally joined to the base wall, its outer edge unattached and itsside edges integrally joined to the side wallsof the tire.

3. A rubber tire in the form of a circumferentially continuous unsplicedtube which has a relatively still interior base wall, a thickenedexterior tread wall and flexible side walls, and a series or loadsupporting tension members within the tire cavity, each in the form oran elastic rubber web extending transversely across the tire cavity,each web having its inner edge integrally joined to the base wall andits side edges integrally joined to the side walls of the tire, each webextending from the tire base toadiacent the tire tread and having anouter edge portion spaced from the tread to permit passage of air.

4. A rubber tire in the form of a circumferentively stifl interior basewall, a thickened exterior tread wall and flexible side walls, a valvestem attached to the tire through which air may be introduced into thetire to inflate the same, an

tire base, and a series or load supporting tension members within thetire cavity in the form or a series of circumterentially spaced flexibleelastic rubber webs spaced inwardly from the tread wall and extendingtransversely across the tire cavity, each disposed in a planeintersecting the tread and base and having opposite edge portionsintegrally joined to the opposite side walls of the tire.

5. A rubber tire in the tom of a circumferentially continuous unsplicedtube which has an interior base wall, a thickened exterior tread walland flexible side walls, a valve stem attached to the tire through whichair may be introduced into the tire to inflate the same, an endlessmetal band embedded in the tire base, and a series or load supportingtension members within the tire cavity in the form of a series orcircumi'erentially disposed flexible elastic rubber webs spaced inwardlyfrom the tread wall and extending transversely across the tire cavity,each disposed in a tially continuous unspliced tube which has arelaplane intersecting the tread and base and having opposite edgeportions integrally joined to the opposite side walls or the tire.

6. A rubber tire in the form or a circumferentlally continuous unsplicedtube which has a relatively stifl interior base wall, a thickenedxterior tread wall and flexible side walls, and a series 01' loadsupporting tension members uniformly spaced throughout the circumferenceof the tire, each in the form or an elastic rubber -web extendingtransversely across the tire cavity, each web having its inner edgeintegrally Joined to the tire base, its outer edge unattached and itsside edges integrally joined to the side walls of the tire.

'1. A rubber tire of relatively large cross section and relatively smallbase diameter in the form or a circumi'erentially continuous unsplicedtube which has a relatively stifl interior base wall, a thickenedexterior tread wall and flexible side walls, and a series 01' loadsupporting tension members within the tire cavity, each in the form ofan elastic rubber web extending transversely across the tire cavity,each web having its inner edge integrally joined to the tire base andits side edges integrally joined to the side walls of the tire, each webextending from the tire base to adlacent the tire tread and having anouter edge portion spaced from the tread to permit passage of air.

8. A rubber tire in the form of a circumferentially continuous unsplicedtube which has a relatively stiff interior base wall, a thickenedexterior tread wall and flexible side walls, cord fabric embedded in theside walls and tread portion oi the tire and extending from one sideedge or the base to the opposite side edge, a valve stem attached to thetire through which air under pressure may be introduced into the tirecavity, and a series or circumierentially spaced load supporting tensionmembers within the tire cavity, each in the form or a flexible andelastic web of rubber disposed in a plane intersecting the tread andbase portions of the tire and having its outer edge spaced from thetread wall and its opposite side edges integrally Joined to the sidewalls of the tire.

9. A rubber tire in the form 01' a circumferentialiy continuousunspliced tube which has a relatively stifl interior base wall, athickened exterior tread wall and flexible side walls, cord fabricembedded in the side walls and tread portion of the tire and extendingfrom one side edge of the base to the opposite side edge, a valve steminextensible reinforcing band embedded in the attached to the tirethrough which air under pressure may be introduced into the tire cavity,and a series of circumferentially spaced load supporting tension memberswithin the tire cavity, each in the form of a flexible and elastic webof rubber, having its inner edge integrally joined to the tire base andits side edges integrally joined to the side wall of the tire, each webextending from the base of the tire to adjacent the tread portion andhaving an outer edge portion spaced from the tread to permit passage ofair.

10. A rubber tire in the form of a circumferentially continuousunspliced tube which has a relatively stifi interior base wall, athickened exterior tread wall and flexible side walls, continuouscircumferential ribs upon the interior of said side walls, and a seriesof load supporting tension members within the cavity, each in the formof a flexible and elastic web of rubber disposed substantially in a,radial plane and extending transversely across the cavity. each webhaving an unattached outer edge and its opposite side edges integrallyjoined to the side walls and to said circumferential ribs.

11. A rubber tire in the form of a circumferentially continuousunspliced tube which has a relatively stiff interioi= base wall, athickened ex terior tread wall and flexible side walls, each side wallhaving a continuous interior rib spaced outwardly from the base andinwardly from the tread, and a series of load supporting tension memberswithin the cavity, each extending from the base to adjacent the tread ofthe tire and having its outer edge unattached and edge portionsintegrally joined to the base and to the side walls and ribs.

PAUL O. PFEIFFER.

